The present invention relates to a connecting device having two tubular bodies, each of which is intended to be connected to a conductor for the transmission of electric, photonic or fluidic signals. The tubular bodies are to be engaged one within the other and temporarily disengaged from each other manually. The device comprises automatic engagement locking means and manual disengagement unlocking means.
Devices of this type are known and universally employed in various fields of industry in which very high precision and reliability are required, particularly in the fields of telecommunication and aerospace.
The automatic locking and manual unlocking means of such devices are of different types, depending on the manufacturer and the options selected.
Among these different types of prior art locking and unlocking means, there is one, to which the invention refers. These locking and unlocking means are formed by peripheral elastic tongues having protruding stop dogs associated with one of the two bodies. A peripheral groove for the automatic elastic engagement of said stop dogs which is associated with the other body. A manual unlocking ring acts by axial displacement to release the stop dogs from the groove.
With the prior art connecting devices comprising these locking and unlocking means, the introduction and manual pushing of one body into the other has the effect of internally connecting the signal conductors, and moving the stop dogs apart until they align with the groove. The stop dogs then automatically penetrate the groove due to the inherent elasticity of the tongues which bear them. Thereupon, the locking of the connection is effected by retaining these stop dogs against any pull on the conductors or the bodies that would tend to move the bodies apart.
For the intentional release of one body from the other, it is necessary to pull on the unlocking ring. The unlocking ring is associated with means generally formed of a cam and a release space, which have the effect of moving the stop dogs associated with one body out of the groove associated with the other body.
One known connecting device of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,457. In that device, the locking ring is mounted for axial sliding on the outer wall of one of the two bodies and has elastic tongues with stop dogs. These tongues extend over the periphery of the end of the body, providing a release space between the tongues and the outer wall. The other body has a peripheral inner groove in which the stop dogs engage upon the introduction of the other body. A frustoconical cam terminates the body bearing the locking ring in front of the stop dogs to prevent the stop dogs from disengaging from the groove when the conductors or bodies are subjected to a pull tending to separate them. Only a pull on the unlocking ring makes it possible to free the stop dogs from the groove by their withdrawal into the release space provided for this purpose. The automatic locking and manual unlocking system of these known connecting devices is satisfactory. The known system makes it possible to connect the signal conductors rapidly, and the locking which it effects is reliable.
However, the fact that these prior art connecting devices can be unlocked by a simple pull on the unlocking ring constitutes a risk of accidental unlocking, followed by disconnection. For example, accidental disconnection may occur upon unskillful manipulations during mounting or replacing a neighboring connector on a board having a multi-connector assembly in which a plurality of connectors of this type are fastened very close to each other.